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History

How Hungary Started
From 9 BC to the end of the 4th century AD Pannonia, the western part of the basin was a part of the Roman Empire. In the final stages of the expansion of the Roman empire, for a short while the Carpathian Basin fell into the influence of the Mediterranean, Greco-Roman civilization - town centers, paved roads, and written sources were all part of the advances to which the Migration of Peoples put an end

Time line
Hungary was founded by Arpad, who led the Magyars into the Pannonian plains
997-1038 King Stephen (also proclaimed a Saint) of the Arpad dynasty ruled the Hungarian country
1241 - 1242 The Mongolian Tartars invasion caused devastation
1458-1490 King Matthias reigned
1526 War with Turkey - the Turks defeated the Hungarians beginning 150 years of Turkish occupation
1541 Hungary was divided into three parts
The Turks ruled Central Hungary
The Habsburg dynasty governed west Hungary
The Hungarians ruled the South Hungary
1703-1711 Hungarian War, led by the Prince of Transylvania, against the Habsburgs failed
1848-1849 Hungarian Revolution and the Habsburg Emperor was dethroned but the Habsburg rule was re-established with the help of Russia
1867 Hungary reached a compromise with the Habsburgs initiating a double-centred monarchy in Vienna and Pest-Buda
1873 Pest, Buda and Obuda were unified forming Budapest as a major European city
1914 - 1918 First World War - Hungary fights on the losing side and the monarchy collapses
1920 - The Trianon Treaty reduced Hungary's area by two thirds and the population by one third
1938-1940 Germany raise treaties in Munich and Vienna in which Southern Slovakia and Northern Transylvania were returned to Hungary
September 1939 World War II starts
1944 The Nazis occupy Hungary
August 1945 The United States dropped atomic bombs on Hiroshima and Nagasaki
1945 The Allies of World War II defeat Germany
1945 The Soviet Union liberated then occupy Hungary
1956 Hungarian revolution against Stalinism was defeated
1990 The Soviet Union army leaves Hungary and a Hungarian democracy is set up

Hungarian Folktale
"It's Not True"

Once upon a time there was a Hungarian princess who was very beautiful. One day she announced that she would only marry the man who could tell her father, the king, a story which he could not believe. Now, in a village there dwelt a poor young peasant, who, hearing of this proclamation, went up to the king's palace, and loudly knocking at the gates demanded an audience of His Majesty.
The king knew very well what the young fellow wanted, as by that time many princes and knights had come on the same errand, in the hope of winning the beautiful princess, but they had all failed. So John, the young peasant was admitted to the royal presence.

"Good morning, your Majesty," John said.

"Good morning, my lad. Well, what do you want?" asked the king, kindly.

"So please, your Majesty, I want a wife."

"Very good, lad; but what would you keep her on?"

"Oh! I dare say I could manage to keep her pretty comfortably. My father has a pig. A wonderful pig, your Majesty; he has kept my father, my mother, seven sisters, and myself, for the last twenty years."

"Indeed!" said the king.

"He gives us as good a quart of milk every morning as any cow."

"Indeed!" said the king.

"Yes, your Majesty, and lays most delicious eggs for our breakfast."

"Indeed!" said the king.

"And every day my mother cuts a nice bit of bacon out of his side, and every night it grows together again."

"Indeed!" said the king.

"The other day this pig disappeared, my mother looked for him high and low, he was nowhere to be seen."

"That was very sad," said the king.

"Finally, she found him in the larder, catching mice."

"A very useful pig!" said the king.

"Yes, your Majesty, and he pays all the bills out of the gold he picks up on the road."

"A very precious pig," said the king.

"Lately he has seemed unruly, and rather out of sorts."

"That's very sad!" said the king.

"He has refused to go where he is told, and won't allow my mother to have any more bacon from his side. Besides which, your Majesty, he is growing rather blind, and can't see where he is going."

"He should be led," said the king.

"Yes, your Majesty, that is why my father has just engaged your father to look after him."

"That's not true," yelled the king . . . then suddenly he remembered his daughter's promise. So he was obliged to allow the princess to marry the peasant's son, but this he never regretted, for the peasant's son became a most clever and amiable young prince, and lived happily with his bride and his father-in-law for very many years. Years after, when John became the king, all his people declared they had never had so wise a ruler. Then it was that he romanced no longer but was always believed and respected.

Information for this website came from Folk Stories


What is the name of the folk story?
a. Do not lie
b. Always tell the Truth
c. It's Not True!

Who was proclaimed a saint in the year 977?
a. Teresa
b.King Stephen
c. Ms. Mennella

Highlight for answers
1. c
2. b



Cassie Mennella ©Illinois State University
Date of creation: 3/31/2011
Last modified:5/1/2011
E-mail: Camenne@isltu.edu